For the 4th year running, the Hyderabad Utsav Mela is back at the People's Plaza grounds, Necklace Road, from 7th May to 15th June this year. There will be plenty of entertainment for children and adults alike, and there are 250 stalls for people looking to indulge in some retail therapy.

The stalls showcase toys, handicrafts, textiles, handlooms, readymades, glassware, artificial jewelry, cosmetics, fitness equipment, real estate, footwear and decorative stuff. There is participation from all over the country including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Assam and the North-Eastern states, but a majority of exhibitors are local traders selling glassware, cosmetics, toys, readymades and fast foods.

As usual, terracota from UP and wooden handicrafts from Bihar are expected to be the most sought after stuff. Next on the hotlist are the readymades, artificial jewelry and dress material. This year, the new additions to the exhibition are cotton saris from Kolkata, fancy bangles from Jaipur, cut works for decorative purpose from Delhi and gold-plated jewelry from Chennai. The products are all reasonably priced, and carry heavy discounts.

For entertainment, there are the Italian amusement area with giant wheels, roller-coaster rides, mini-trains, aeroplanes, pendulum rides and other rides which attract not only the kids but also the grown-ups and the older lot. And there is no dearth for food, as fastfood joints have been set up serving piping hot mirchi bhajjis, vadas, paav bhajis, bondas and fried rice, besides ice-creams, soft drinks, tea and coffee.

The entry charges are by tickets of Rs. 10 per head, available at the venue. The exhibition is open from 4pm to 10pm, though it would be better to enter after 7pm when the heat subsides. Please contact Inder, organiser of the exhibition, at 94409-96472 for further details.